I just got back from my annual family vacation and I’m feeling more rested and rejuvenated than ever. It’s what I physically work towards every year. It’s kind of ironic that I work so hard all year just so I can take it easy for a one week out of the summer. It was thrilling to be able to lay on the beach and watch the sunset melt into the Gulf of Mexico without a care in the world. Being a vacation, I made sure I laid back about my nutrition. I indulged where I wanted to and didn’t think twice about it. I really let myself go. Lifting and cardio were replaced by leisurely activities like kayaking, Frisbee, swimming and running on the beach. The best part of my trip by far though was being able to show off my hard earned work in my bikini. What an awesome feeling! All of my hard work had finally shown through.
I received many compliments. My father even complimented me. And he’s been a gym go-er for many, many years. I felt like I had defied the odds. I told him that I wanted a six-pack around 3 years ago. His response to that was it takes many years for those muscles to develop. So, for him to even notice felt extremely rewarding. Just hearing one or two compliments was a complete honor. One person even told me to keep doing whatever I was doing because I must be doing something right. When I said I was 31 years old, his jaw dropped. He thought I was still in my twenties. I was all smiles.
My journey for my beach vacation of this year started upon the return of my vacation last summer. I knew that if I wanted to look even better next year that I would have to really put in the time and energy now to build a healthier physique. And that is just what I did. That little word called “change” was always in the back of my mind. I must forge ahead to change my body.
I paid more attention to the small details right down to how many seconds I rested in between reps and how many raspberries I was putting in my yogurt. I focused more on individual muscle groups and only did cardio about once a week. Towards the end, I added more cardio and subtracted most if not all of the additives in my food. Every small detail was calculated very carefully. Every waking moment would be dedicated to gaining more muscle and reducing fat. I gained not only more muscle, but a greater discipline. It was one of the most physically demanding years of my life, but also the most rewarding.
I believe this is my third vacation since training with Forward Fit and each year I’ve seen even better results than the year before. Every year is my best year ever. Each year, I learn more and more about myself. If you’re dedicated, your persistence will shine through and so will your muscles! If you do something long enough, it will start becoming a habit. Make a habit out of being healthy and see where it will take you!
How far will you push your body? How many limits can you surpass? I managed to reduce my body fat down to 16.5%. What an accomplishment. But, I want more!
Stay tuned for more updates on my journey.
By Amy Pelz